1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate generally to data communications, and more particularly to a system and method of managing data packets for transmission in a virtual network.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of virtual networking technologies are generally known. One popular communications standard for use in connection with virtual network implementations is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1Q standard for Ethernet applications. In accordance with certain features of this standard, a service provider may preserve a customer's virtual local area network (VLAN) protocols, groupings, privileges, and other VLAN parameters across the service provider's network backbone. In that regard, one or more ports dedicated to a customer may map customer communications across the provider's VLAN, relieving the customer from having to assign service provider VLAN identifications to network traffic. Accordingly, multiple customer VLAN data communications may be supported by a single service provider network; this networking strategy is generally referred to as 802.1Q tunneling or 802.1QinQ.
It is noted that data packets transmitted using QinQ (or other types of networking protocols) are VLAN tagged. During transmission from one network node to another, a data or control packet is generally received at a switch port, which subsequently forwards the packet in accordance with a tag state, i.e., in accordance with information contained in one or more tags associated with the packet. Current network protocols are deficient to the extent that they do not contemplate flexible and sophisticated manipulation of packet tags within a network switching fabric. For example, although adding or removing multiple tags and swapping or otherwise altering the positions of tags within a packet header may potentially have utility in various applications, these operations are not collectively supported in conventional inter-network communications strategies.
Therefore, it may be desirable in some instances to provide a system and method that enable identification of various kinds of tags as well as flexible and configurable manipulation of these tags supporting transmission of data packets across diverse networks.